Referrals slammed

Australia captain Ricky Ponting today said the introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS) in Test cricket was a “shame” and the innovation should have been tried at some other level before its implemenation in the top format.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting today said the introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS) in Test cricket was a “shame” and the innovation should have been tried at some other level before its implemenation in the top format. His comments came after ICC match referee Chris Broad said that the DRS needs fine-tuning.

“If you look at it like that, it's probably the most disappointing aspect of the whole thing. It's a shame to be basically trialling something like this at the top level. There’s got to be enough cricket going on around the world to have a look at it without using it in Test matches,” Ponting told The Australian.

Merits of the DRS are being debated after controversial decisions in the Adelaide Test between Australia and the West Indies. English Umpire Mark Benson had left the series mid-way after his decision of ruling Shivnarine Chanderpaul not out got overturned on the first day. Ponting had also spoken to the umpires after the Test but did not reveal the details.